Take time daily to be alone with yourself, away from phones, the Internet and noise. Making time for solitude is a gift you give yourself. Insist on it, and don’t allow anyone, including yourself, to talk you out of it.

Here are what I consider six benefits of quiet time.

1. Lighten Up

In a stressed state, it’s so easy to lose touch with inner peace, compassion and kindness; in a relaxed state, your mind is clear and you can connect with a deeper sense of purpose and good. Meditation and medication are derived from the Latin word medicus, to care or to cure. A time of quiet calmness is, therefore, the most effective remedy for a busy and overworked mind. Anytime you feel stress rising, heart closing, mind going into overwhelm, just bring your focus to your breathing and quietly repeat with each in-and-out breath: Breathing in, I calm my body and mind; breathing out, All is well.

2. Let Go

Stillness is always there between the thoughts, behind the drama, underneath the noise. What keeps us from experiencing our natural state of peace is the habitual and ego-dominated monkey mind. Meditation enables us to see clearly, to witness our thoughts and behavior and reduce self-involvement. Without such a practice of self-reflection there’s no way of putting a brake on the ego’s demands. From being self-centered, we can become other-centered, concerned about the welfare of all.

3. Gratitude

Take a moment to appreciate the chair you’re sitting on. Consider how the chair was made: the wood, cotton, wool, or other fibers, the trees and plants that were used, the earth that grew the trees, the sun and rain, the animals that maybe gave their lives, the people who prepared the materials, the factory where the chair was made, the designer and carpenter and seamstress, the shop that sold it—all this just so you could be sitting here, now. Then extend that deep appreciation to everything and everyone in your life.

Happy Monday!

It’s stunningly beautiful today as we stand at the grand entrance to summer! The promise of the April rains came through and Mother Nature has just proclaimed two of the sweetest words I know; “Ta Da!”

When I think about TD moments I think of Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. She was the queen of grand entrances, but I’m afraid Mama Nature just passed her today, at least here in the Pacific Northwest.

Your Snuggle Bunnies are hopefully enjoying some TD moments, showing off their clean rooms and while they are at it, you are hopefully in spring cleaning mode.

GO Moms!

Whenever I use the word GO with both letters capitalized, it usually stands for my acronym Get Organized. This time it just means GO Mom as in, you rock! Of course it helps your job if you’re organized to some degree.

I’m a mom and there’s something that’s always bugged me about Mother’s Day. I think every day should be Mother’s Day. After all, we moms work 365 days a year for no pay. I guess what really bugs me is I think Mother’s day is just a way for card, candy and flower companies to make money. I’ve also heard Mother’s Day is the biggest money-maker for the restaurant business. I’m all for private enterprise, I just want family and friends to appreciate moms every day. Don’t just think about her on May 11. Maybe you could buy 12 Mother’s Day cards and give your mom a card once a month! Or take her out to eat at least once a month in celebration of her sacrifice.

I happened to have been born the day before Mother’s Day, and the next day my mom got her breakfast delivered in the hospital with a little card that said, “Happy Mother’s Day.” Since I was her first child, it was the first time she’d been addressed as Mother. It’s a big deal!

Should we moms be grateful to have one day a year set aside for us? Of course we should, but really moms, the world will never be able to thank us for what we do. In Sidetracked Home Executives: from Pigpen to Paradise I wrote a poem for moms. I imagined what a column in the classified ads for “Help Wanted” would read.

There’s nothing better than starting the week off with such a HAPPY holiday! Happy Cinco De Mayo! I love the spirit of the Mexican people and May just wouldn’t be May without this celebration and to have it be on a Monday, well it doesn’t get any better than that.

On May Day, two of my grandchildren celebrated birthdays; one his 16^th birthday and the other her 15^th birthday. (A lot of hanky panky goin’ on in August.) My birthday is this week, May 8, so we know what my parents were doing when they celebrated their anniversary on August 8.

Monday April 28, 2014

I remember loving Peeps as they got older and chewier, but more than once I Peeped myself into the next size bathing suit when summer was just around the corner.  Here it is a week since the Easter Bunny came and it’s my guess that you and your family have had your fair share of chocolate in the shape of bunny ears and eggs.

I wonder if in a thousand years from now when anthropologists study our current society they’ll be perplexed at the fact that we celebrate with sugar. Two hundred years ago, the average American ate only 2 pounds of sugar a year. In 1970, we ate 123 pounds per year. Today, the average American consumes almost 152 pounds of sugar in one year!

My blog on Wednesday Hey DING DONG (it’s not about the cupcakes) has to do with procrastination and it occurred to me that a great decision to stop putting off would be a decision to stop eating sugar.

Happy Monday Morning Mom! There’s something very special about this Monday, because it follows Easter and it carries with it the promise of new beginnings. Take some time today and all this week to be still and feel the new birth and growth all around you. 

Feel the joy you felt as a very young child, free of worry and concern and focus on the warmth of the spring sun as you breathe in the fresh spring air. Let the blossoms remind you of the miracle you are and bask in the beauty of this season. Spring assures us of another chance to grow and blossom into our potential. 

It's Monday.  Let's see what wonders the new week holds!

 

On this beautiful Monday morning, I’m excited about our week. I decided to call my Monday email to you, Monday Morning for Mom. Let’s celebrate the start of our week, knowing it holds so many gifts of joy and love. Let’s don’t get so involved with our “to do” lists that we forget to be.

I love the work of Doe Zantamata! She inspires me with words of happiness and hope. Today let’s be who we really are. No lies, no acts, just be you. You are awesome and you have a fabulous week ahead of you. I hope you’ll let the House Fairy help you to motivate your children to keep their rooms neat and tidy while I help you have more fun with them. They grow up so fast ya know.

I decided this week’s theme is laughter and joy. With spring moving in, it just seems to lighten everyone up. I thought I’d include in today’s email a link to someone who cracks me up. I hope he makes you laugh too. I use YouTube videos for instant laughs whenever I get a little down.